MADISON, Wis. -- Many college football players in Jeff Lewis' position would have skipped town at the first sign of struggle, sought refuge in transferring to a mediocre mid-major program and convinced themselves easier competition for playing time was the way to go. Who would have faulted Lewis for considering such a path? In 2010, his first season at the University of Wisconsin, three Badgers running backs -- John Clay, James White and Montee Ball -- combined to rush for 3,060 yards and 46 touchdowns. White had three more years of eligibility remaining and Ball two, which meant Lewis would be hard-pressed to squeeze in many touches over that time. If Lewis had chosen to leave after taking his redshirt season, he wouldn't have been the first or last athlete to make such a decision. In fact, during the 2010-11 school year, 969 football student-athletes transferred from one four-year school to another four-year school, according to NCAA figures. Yet Lewis said he never gave thought to leaving Wisconsin, even as the reality of his lack of playing time became clearer when Ball transformed into a Heisman Trophy finalist and Doak Walker Award winner, White continued to excel and Melvin Gordon leapfrogged Lewis on the depth chart. "I didn’t leave because I knew the people ahead of me were great and I would only learn and benefit from them," Lewis said. "I know if you go somewhere else and play, you're doing good, but why not learn from a Heisman candidate or a John Clay, the Big Ten Player of the Year? I felt that only made my game better and helped me just understand football on a whole other level." Lewis stuck it out then, and when he realized this offseason he still wouldn't see the field much, he finally switched positions to safety rather than transfer. In the fairytales, Lewis would have been rewarded with playing time for his sacrifice and loyalty. Instead, he found himself in the exact same scenario -- stuck on the wrong side of Wisconsin's depth chart behind a slew of talented safeties. So buried was Lewis that, after two weeks of work at safety, he switched to running back for good during Tuesday's practice. It is enough to make one wonder why the cosmic forces don't align to let Lewis catch a break. Lewis, on the other hand, isn't feeling sorry for himself one bit. Where others would allow frustration to cloud their mind at a second disappointment, he has maintained his determination. "For the most part, it's not frustrating," Lewis said. "I'm just out here trying to do my best. I've got to make the best of my opportunities. I'm trying to get on the field any way I can. I'm doing well on special teams, so hopefully I can get some playing time there. Just got to keep grinding, got to keep working hard." Lewis' story is all the more agonizing because he began fall camp as the favorite to start at free safety alongside Dezmen Southward. He possessed speed, which the Badgers' coaching staff deemed especially important in a new defensive scheme. Still, he was raw because he hadn't played defensive back since his sophomore year at Brookfield (Wis.) Central High School. As the first two weeks of camp progressed, it became apparent the nuances of playing the position were coming along slower for Lewis than coaches anticipated. Meanwhile, Michael Caputo, Leo Musso and Michael Trotter all established themselves as reliable safeties. "It's definitely tough," Southward said. "I came in as a cornerback. But that's totally different because moving from corner to safety, I had a pretty good understanding of everything we were doing already. I couldn't imagine going from a defender to an offensive player. That doesn't even sound good to me." Lewis began studying film in the summer so he could know how to play safety. He worked in 7-on-7 summer drills to learn pass coverage techniques. He spent extra time with Southward, who tried to help him understand how to defend different players. A safety can cheat off a tight end, for example, because he is big and slow but must be extra careful of getting burned by a speedster in the slot. Despite his best efforts, Lewis, a redshirt junior, was again on the outside looking in. Lewis said he worked out an agreement with Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen that if his transition to safety didn't work out, he could always switch to running back again. On Monday night, Lewis met with Andersen and was told he would not be high enough on the depth chart to see regular playing time. So, Lewis asked for the opportunity to return to offense, and Andersen said yes. "Nobody would give you that choice, especially at this level that if you don’t like it you can just come on back," Lewis said. "That was the first thing I said when I thanked him. He was like, 'I just want what's best for you.' I praise him to death for that. I really appreciate the opportunity he gave me to do that." One week earlier, Andersen said he was not considering moving Lewis back to running back, where he carried 37 times for 200 yards with two touchdowns in his career at UW. Freshman Corey Clement had emerged as the No. 3 tailback, and Lewis would be buried on that side of the ball, too. But Lewis decided he would rather be comfortable on the field, so despite being the team's No. 4 running back, he can at least be happy playing offense again in practice. "It feels so much more comfortable," Lewis said. "It's not like I took it for granted before. But now it's like, 'Wow, it's a lot easer.' The game is a lot slower. I can see things. Now I know even more stuff about defense, coverages, when they want to blitz and what type of packages they use in the red zone. It just makes me a better player. "I felt like I was making the right choice going back. I know I don't have any doubt in my heart now. That’s probably the best thing I got off my chest. I gave it a shot." Lewis, back at his natural position, intends to fight for playing time as he's always done. He has two more years of eligibility at Wisconsin. And he isn't going anywhere. "I know God has a plan and I know I'm athletic enough to play out here," Lewis said. "I've got the talent. I've got to be consistent each and every day and once your opportunity presents itself, you've got to take advantage of it."
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